Study screenwriting and getting excited

The semester started yesterday. So far I'm really excited cos my courses are so interesting, and I can't wait to sit and write the assignments. One course is less scriptwriting and more prose, which is something I for sure enjoy. The teacher is Sami Berdugo, who's also nominated this year for the Sapir Prize. I need to read his book. Funny thing, Berdugo reminded me of this man I once knew, and who today I discovered was the real character behind Alex, the character from one of the scripts I write now. A dedicated scientist that forgets to be human. It was funny how it all connected in one secong of enlightment: this man from the past, Sami and Alex. I guess Sami is the present and Alex is the future. In a way.

Great things also on the UCLA Extension program. I got an interesting comment from my tutor, telling me my story is complex and i should focus on the emotions. He also said my non-native English style only adds to the eeriness of the script. Now I should start working on the next 10 pages. I already wrote down the main things that will happen, but as always, writing the script is the best way to let my mind talk.

I'll be working this semester on 3 different projects: one UCLA feature script, one TAU feature script (taking place in Israel and written in Hebrew) and a TAU tv series. It's really exciting, I feel so alive. OK, it's only the first week and probably i'll get tired slowly, but i'm just happy to be on this screenwriting program. It's so right.

For next week at TAU I need to write a fragment, prose, with a single person in a closed room. I also need to post my synopsis for the feature film, and the class will discuss it next week. I'm quite nervous about it. I'm not so sure about big parts of the script. The real issue here is the tone. At the moment it seems to be quite a melancholic piece, like "the tenant" meets "the Fisher King" meets "Inland Empire". The last thing I want is to be influenced by Lynch. Lynch does Lynch best and better let him have his own kingdom to himself. He's doing great. I don't want a sad disturbing end. I don't feel like it now. Maybe it's because I'm pregnant, maybe because we moved out of the city not too long ago. But I feel like an up-ending for my script.

OK, back to work. Must send a coverage for Dave to my UCLA tutor.